2024-25 Shocker Men's Bowling

[1972Shocker]

One of the upsides of moving the Women's Bowling Team to the Shocker NCAA program portfolio is that shines a brighter spotlight on the sport than it had previously. Unfortunately, the Shocker Men's Bowling Program remains more in the shadows thanks to Title IX requirements.

We've added a women's bowling topic in the Women's Sport category so I thought it would appropriated to do the same for the Shocker men's bowling team although news may not be quite as easily accessible for the men as it will be for the women.

Wichita State Men's Bowling Home Page

Wichita State Men's Bowling X Account

2024-25 Shocker Men's Bowling Schedule

[1972Shocker]

Both the Shocker women and the Shocker men are scheduled to bowl in the Mid-States Championships in Wichita this weekend at Bowlero Northridge. This appears to be a USBC event. I'm sure more details will be forthcoming this week. This will be the only Wichita tournament for the bowling teams this academic year.

It is interesting to see the difference in fan communication and engagement and the amount of administrative support there is for the women now that they are part of the Wichita State's NCAA portfolio of sports vs what they had previously and what the men continue to have.

For example, as far as I can tell the Shocker Men's team has not yet posted their 2024-25 roster.

Update: The 2024-25 roster is now posted: https://www.wichita.edu/athletics/bo...t_the_team.php

[1972Shocker]

Mid-States Championships @ Bowlero Northridge

The Shocker women's team won. I am unable to find any info on how the men's fared at this point. As I said in the post above the fan communication and engagement and administrative support for the Shocker women's bowling team, now that they are in the NCAA fold, and the Shocker Men's bowling team is like day vs night.

Update:

I looked at the Newman University website and found that Newman was the winner of this tournament beating Houston Christian 3-1 (best of 5 Baker games) in the finals winning games 3 and 4 by scores of 231-171 and 234-163.

Newman beat the Shockers 3-1 in the semi-finals. After 3 close games Newman pounded the Shocks 232-163 to close out the match.

https://newmanjets.com/news/2024/10/21/mens-bowling-jets-start-off-the-season-with-three-tournament-wins.aspx

Update: The Shockers' schedule shows that the Shocks finished 3rd. Not sure if that was determined by a consolation match against the other semi-final loser or by some other means.

[1972Shocker]

The Shocker men won the Jayhawk Collegiate Challenge in Topeka on October 26 and 27.

The 2024-2025 United States Bowling Congress Collegiate season marched on this past weekend with 14 events around the country, highlighted by the Jayhawk Collegiate Challenge in Topeka, Kansas.

Fifteen men’s varsity teams teams competed at the Jayhawk, where teams bowled five individual games and 16 Baker games before the top eight teams in each division moved on to best-of-three bracket match play.

Wichita State qualified as the top seed for the bracket and defeated No. 8 Saint Mary (2-0) and No. 4 Ottawa-Kansas (2.5-1.5) before facing No. 2 Newman in the title match. The Shockers never let up in the title match, shooting 228-200 to Newman’s 200-194 to claim the victory.

Wichita State also had three bowlers in the top five for individuals, with Broox Golden leading the entire men’s field with a five-game total of 1,157. Traeten Henrichsmeyer was third with 1,113 and Carter Street finished fifth with 1,081. Lindenwood’s Michael Anderson was second (1,120) while Newman’s Liam Hardman was fourth (1,095).

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Broox Golden not listed on the Shocker roster that is now listed on the Shocker Men's Bowling web page.

[1972Shocker]

The Shocker men won the Leatherneck Classic hosted by Western Illinois and held in Rockford, Illinois (Fred's old stomping grounds) on November 9th and 10th. This was a very large tournament with 40 teams in the men's varsity division. The format had each team bowling six conventional games on Saturday and four - 4-game baker sets on Sunday. After the bakers, the top 8 varsity teams with the highest total pin fall will be seeded into a bracket match. The teams will bowl a best of 3 match (presumably Baker sets) with the winners advancing.

The Shocker men qualified as the #2 seed heading into bracket play behind Webber International:

http://www.leatherneckclassic.com/uploads/1/3/5/0/13506005/varsity_men_final.pdf

The Shockers stomped #7 seed Calumet 237-144 and 247-214 in round 1, edge the #6 seed Newman in quite the battle 267-25 and 184-182 (the two games could not have been more different) and the then knocked of the #1 seed in the championship match 234-167, 200-209 and 235-172.

http://www.leatherneckclassic.com/uploads/1/3/5/0/13506005/varsity_men_bracket.pdf

I'm thinking this tournament is a fairly significant event for Rockford. 40 men's and 30 women's varsity teams plus 20 men's and 8 women's junior varsity teams.

The men bowled at the Don Carter Lanes. Now that's blast from the past. Don Carter had one of the most unorthodox styles you will ever see but he made it work.

[ShockTalk]

Don Carter, Dick Weber, and Earl Anthony were my bowling heroes as a youth bowler.

While Carter's style was different, after the high in the air start, was very compact, mechanical, and simple.

[SHOXAAC]

Don Carter, Dick Weber, and Earl Anthony were my bowling heroes as a youth bowler.

While Carter's style was different, after the high in the air start, was very compact, mechanical, and simple.

Interesting...that is what my wife says about me!

[ShockerDropOut]

Don Carter was all about precision. No big hook, rotation or speed. He just hit his mark every time.

[1972Shocker]

The Shocker men were scheduled to compete in the National Team Match Games hosted by McKendree University on November 23-24 in Fairview Heights, IL (East of St. Louis). This is another Tier I event that features the top teams in the country. All teams bowl five traditional games on Saturday and return Sunday to complete 20-Baker style games. The champion is determined based on total pinfall.

I think there were 25 or 26 teams competing in this tournament. However, I am unable to find how the Shockers did. A number of other teams have recaps of how their team fared but no mention of the overall results. So far no result posted to the Shocker schedule.

It looks like the Newman University Jets finished 8th in this tournament.

[ShockTalk]

BOWL.com | Collegiate Ticker - Nov. 27, 2024

On the men’s side, Wichita State nearly led from wire-to-wire for their first Tier I victory of the season, winning by nearly 400 pins over second place. Carter Street led the Shockers with a total of 1,138 and placed third overall in the individual block.

[1972Shocker]

BOWL.com | Collegiate Ticker - Nov. 27, 2024

On the men’s side, Wichita State nearly led from wire-to-wire for their first Tier I victory of the season, winning by nearly 400 pins over second place. Carter Street led the Shockers with a total of 1,138 and placed third overall in the individual block.

Thanks. I looked at that site but did not find that. That explains why the second place team, Lindenwood, in their recap bragged about their strong finish and how the finished just 39, 44 and 56 pins ahead of the 3rd, 4th and 5th place finishers but made no mention of how far they finished behind the winner or who the winner was.

Clearly the Shocker men's bowling team is pretty stealthy. Doesn't easily show up on the radar screen.